Scarves and Paper Cranes
by Raziel the Selkie
Summary: It all started when Kyoko Needleworker and Asuka Cranekick met Raspberyl, Evil Academy's notorious delinquent.


It all started when Kyoko Needleworker and Asuka Cranekick met Raspberyl, Evil Academy's notorious delinquent. Actually, it started with two quarreling demon families of noble prestige spanning several centuries ago, which is far older than human memory or history can achieve. In fact, the feud was so old that even demons couldn't quite remember what the reason behind the feud was. However, the Needleworkers were a clan of Ninja, while the Cranekicks were a clan of Samurai. Both clans served respectfully under the same Overlord, with the Needleworkers being masters of ninjutsu and the Cranekicks masters of bushido. The Overlord saw the potential in Asuka and Kyoko's great (and an exponential amount of greats so that I don't bore you to tears with all greats) grandfathers. Even though Samurai and Ninja had different ideologies, Asuka and Kyoko's great (and a great number of greats) grandfathers were comrades of sorts, fighting alongside one another in battle.

But the bonds of camaraderie would be broken when their great (and great great great great etc.) grandfathers got into an argument about the number of enemies they have slain. Or perhaps it could have been one stealing the last pork dumpling from the other. Or maybe one passed gas in the presence of the other and they found that rather offensive (one does not simply pass gas in front of a stiff uppercrust family who are supposed to be the quintessence of perfection, and quitessences of perfection do not expel gas and never go to the bathroom and do unseemly things like 'taking a leak' or 'pushing out a log'). Regardless, no one knows how it really began, though there are often elaborate tapestries of stories that go into great detail about how one side wronged the other. The Needleworkers claimed that the Cranekicks started the feud, while the Cranekicks claimed otherwise.

In the present, however, the current Cranekick and Needleworker felt that their clans were beginning to lose their traditional edge. Being proud and noble families that valued such traditions above all else, they felt that they would send their daughters to the most prestigious school that their Netherworld can offer. When Asuka and Kyoko heard that they both attended the same school, one would regard the other with disdain. Asuka heard that the Needleworkers were deceitful and always used dirty tricks to win a fight. Kyoko heard that the Cranekicks were honorable to the point of stupidity and they always rushed headfirst into danger without thinking.

The worst part was that Asuka and Kyoko had to sit together on their first day of Evil Academy. The teacher (who bothered to teach for the first day, just for appearance's sake, even though he was pretending to read a textbook when in actuality it was a sexy magazine called Succulent Succubuses). Of course, being demons, Asuka and Kyoko weren't there to learn, and even if they did, the animosity between them was so palpable that nothing else could have torn their glares away from one another. Kyoko primly took out her yarn and needles, meticulously stitching together a scarf. Asuka took out several pieces of paper and began folding them into cranes.

The needles clicked and clacked, paper crumpled and rustled, and the two girls never stopped glaring at the other. Kyoko clipped her needles together furiously, weaving out a haphazard scarf, while Asuka tore some paper cranes and wrinkled them in places. While this went on, someone noted the tension between Asuka and Kyoko and decided to do something about it.

A diminutive pink-haired demon smacked a ruler against Kyoko's desk, which caused Kyoko to unravel her needlework while Asuka's paper cranes flew from her desk and littered the floor. "You two, pay attention! This part is especially important!"

Kyoko and Asuka turned towards the tiny demon, before returning their glares to one another.

"I, for one," Kyoko said with a certain air, "cannot tolerate her presence, especially after what her clan did."

Asuka turned up her nose at Kyoko and said, "Do not believe a Needleworker, for they are a clan of liars. The Needleworkers have tried to alter the history books between our clans, when it is clearly the Needleworkers who were in the wrong when the feud began."

"I know for certain that the Cranekicks are very stupid," Kyoko said while raising her chin to meet Asuka directly in the eye. "The entire clan is deluded if they believe that the Needleworkers started the feud, as it was the Cranekicks who started the entire thing. The Cranekicks merely perpetuated propaganda against the Needleworkers, saying slander that the Needleworkers started it all. We merely wanted to tell the truth to everyone."

"What would a Ninja know about truth and honor, anyway?" Asuka retorted, rising above Kyoko. "My family is an honorable lineage, they would never tell something as unseemly as a lie. Your great, great, great…great, great…mmph, what does it matter!...great grandfather betrayed the Overlord our families served under!"

"How dare you say that!" Kyoko said, chucking her pointed needles at Asuka. It managed to pin one of Asuka's paper cranes into the wall. "My clan served well under the Overlord. We worked in the shadows, yes, but we did all the work that the Overlord himself couldn't do. My great great great-" Kyoko said 'great so many times until she nearly became blue into the face, before she said, "great grandfather was the Overlord's right hand, and your supposedly great ancestor was a mere foot soldier."

"You! You lying, deceitful Ninja!" Asuka said as she turned red in the face. "I never-"

"Enough you two," the demon delinquent said in a stern voice. "The lunch bell is about to ring soon. How about you join me?"

Kyoko and Asuka crossed their arms, turned to glance at one another, before angrily turning their heads away.

"Well I shan't say a word to that deluded Cranekick."

"Nor shall I talk to a Needleworker!" Asuka said in return.

"From now on, you two are my loyal vassals, so you better learn to get along," the delinquent said, before the bell began to ring. "Oh! That's the lunch bell! I gotta go eat all the lunches for the missing students. Can you believe that thirty of them didn't make it today?"

"You eat all those lunches?" Kyoko and Asuka said at the same time. They glanced at one another, before they angrily turned away once more.

"Yep, it would be a waste of food otherwise! My name's Raspberyl, by the way. What're your names?"

Kyoko and Asuka introduced themselves, and Raspberyl gave them both a friendly smile in turn. She stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at their faces, and she circled around them while appraising something. Raspberyl gave a pondering "Hm" as she then picked up a random crane from the floor, viewing it from various angles, before she acknowledged Asuka. "This is a wonderfully folded paper crane. Look how crisp and clean these lines are! The origami craftsmanship is perfect!"

Asuka blushed and inclined her head slightly to Raspberyl's comment. "Why yes, the crane is my family symbol. I like folding paper cranes because it's such a calming activity."

"Hmhm," Raspberyl mused to herself, before she set the paper crane down on a desk and then went to examine Kyoko's handiwork. Even though part of it was unraveled, the rest of the stitches were tightly knitted into place. "This is a beautiful scarf. Look at the needlework here, the stitches are well made. The part right here is practically seamless."

Kyoko blushed underneath her mask and acknowledged Raspberyl's comment with a slight bow her head. "My family comes from humble origins, my Lady. Our trade as tailors sustained us before the Needleworkers eventually became a Ninja clan."

"Well, you have the abilities that I'm looking for in vassals," Raspberyl said with a smile. "I hope that we all become good friends!"

Raspberyl held out her hand. Kyoko looked at Asuka, Asuka looked at Kyoko, neither of them willing to touch the other's hand. However, Raspberyl linked their two hands together, before putting her other hand on top of theirs.

"Now," Raspberyl said. "Let's do some volunteer work together and work hard to graduate from this school. One for all and all for one!"

-x-

Winter descended upon the Netherworld. Everything became covered in white, and a chill swept through the city. Even in this bitter cold, however, the trio trudged their way through the snow. Raspberyl claimed that to improve their camaraderie, they needed to do some volunteer work. Kyoko and Asuka reluctantly agreed. Being raised as demons, they resisted good works, though their pride wouldn't allow their rival to outdo the other. Raspberyl requested that Kyoko knit as many scarves as she can, while Asuka made a thousand paper cranes. Kyoko claimed that she could knit a number of scarves that could wrap around the Netherworld, while Asuka countered that she could fold tens of thousands of a thousand paper cranes. Raspberyl then said that everything was good, and she made a final request in private to each girl. To Kyoko, she asked her to knit her finest scarf, and to Asuka, she asked that Asuka create the greatest number of cranes on a single set as she could.

Each girl set to work, and once they finished, they needed an overly large bag to carry their bundle of needlework and paper cranes. The three of them set out to the Netherworld Hospital, dragging a burlap sack along the ground and leaving a trail in the snow, each of them determined to reach their destination. Once they made it there, a friendly Cleric greeted them and gave them a tour around the hospital, where several sick and injured demons lay. Raspberyl handed a scarf and a set of a thousand paper cranes to each patient, before giving them a warm smile and wishing them a Merry Christmas. Even if Kyoko and Asuka didn't get along, they both noted that Raspberyl was a diligent worker and had a buoyant spirit that seemed indomitable.

Once they finished their volunteer work at the hospital, the trio made their way outside. Raspberyl was positively beaming, her breath puffing out as fog in the air. "I'll say that was a mission well done, ladies! Now, we're going to do something special for all your hard work. I know that you didn't really want to do all that, but you did anyway to help me. Thank you."

"O-Oh, it's nothing my lady," Kyoko said. "I'm really glad that my needlework went to a good cause. Now the patients will be nice and warm in their scarves."

"Well, I do like to fold paper cranes," Asuka said. "I certainly hope that they will be in good health and spirit from them."

Raspberyl nodded approvingly, before she took something out of the sack and presented them to Asuka and Kyoko. The outfits presented had a pink color scheme, and one was a Kunoichi outfit for Kyoko while the other was a Samurai garment for Asuka. Kyoko and Asuka took their respective gifts, bowing to Raspberyl respectfully.

"Oh, you really shouldn't have! I am grateful for this nice gesture, but-"

"Why does my outfit match hers?"

Raspberyl smiled before saying. "We're all a matching set now. When people see us, they'll know that we're all inseparable. Now, since that is my gift to you, I have one final thing to request. Kyoko, take out your scarf-and Asuka, take out your paper cranes."

Kyoko unraveled a long scarf while Asuka carefully presented a long trail of paper cranes on a string. Once they did so, Raspberyl nodded, before saying, "Now exchange them with each other."

Both girls gasped.

"My lady, don't tell me that-"

"This was your plan all along?"

Raspberyl stood as tall as she could with a proud look on her face. "When I saw the two of you together, I knew that I had to do something about it. I wanted to do a good deed that involved bringing people together, and I wanted to study the aspect of 'friendship'. I thought that you two could be really good friends, so that's why I took you on as my vassals and made you do all this volunteer work with me."

"B-But-"

"She's a Cranekick-"

"And she is a Needleworker-"

"_How can the two of us possibly be friends_?"

"Come on, girls," Raspberyl said. "Give each other your gifts. Kyoko, you made sure every stitch was perfect, right? Asuka, you folded each crane with care and granted a selfless wish on it, right?"

"I want to make sure that the person who receives this scarf only has the finest materials, and each stitch is lovingly made."

"I folded each crane with care. The wish I made was whoever received this would have a lasting friendship."

Raspberyl nodded encouragingly, and Kyoko and Asuka exchanged their gifts with one another. They looked at the other, trying to find the right words to say.

"I think," Kyoko began as she carefully held Asuka's paper cranes. "That it's rather silly to hold a grudge that came from several lifetimes ago."

"I agree," Asuka said as she wrapped Kyoko's scarf around her neck. "It has nothing to do with us, now does it?"

"This is what they call 'friendship'" Raspberyl said. "A friend is a companion, someone who listens and is there in times of need. But the wonderful thing about friendship is putting your differences aside and accepting one another for who you are. Thanks to you two, I can now finish my essay about 'Friendship' for class."

Kyoko and Asuka then smiled at one another. Thanks to Raspberyl, they put aside the ancient ancestral grudge that separated them from one another. They both made a vow that they would dedicate themselves to Raspberyl as her loyal vassals and work together as comrades, like their ancient ancestors once did so long ago.


End file.
